Life is but a Masquerade
by Rogue Warrior Spirit
Summary: on hold AU Medieval Times During drastic times, will a missing prince an amnesic princess and a group of mismatched individuals band together in their time of need? Experience the true events, first hand, of this classic story about good vs. evil. ROMY
1. Introduction

**Author's Note:** This is the first X-men story that I have ever posted.  I'm not too great at accents, so I'm not even going to try…sorry folks.  Anyways, this is an AU based during my version of medieval times (there are kings, queens, et cetera).  This is my dimension so sorry if there are some facts wrong or if I mention a figure in history that technically comes later in life.  I'm not too sure about the couplings yet, except that this will be a definite ROMY.  Please request any other couples that you may want to make an appearance in my story.  Opinions and criticism are always welcome….Enjoy!

= change in scene

_Blah = _thoughts

The scene begins in a small cozy cottage along the banks of a river. Inside a little girl, about four years of age, is trying desperately to fight sleep's hold on her as she listened to her aunt who was telling her a bed-time story. The petite girl was wearing her forest green nightshirt that came up to her knees.  She is unpinning her naturally curly brunette hair as we speak from their usual places atop her head. As the beautiful locks cascade down her shoulders we can see unusual snowy white tresses that mar her brown hair. Some how these unruly bangs of hers manage to accent her pale completion in just the right way that it also complements her sparkling green eyes, which are often mistaken and compared to beautiful emerald jewels.

Beside her is an elderly woman clutching reciting her niece's favorite story. She too has brunette hair color with white streaks through it. Although, unlike the natural stripes of the girl, the ones in her hair were not a gift from birth but a gift from her years of life and experiences that one should not be subjected to go through, ever. The colors of her eyes are unknown for she always finds a way to hide them. The cause of this is her blindness. She virtually cannot see, but, unbeknown, to the girl she can use magic that enables her to see in her own special way. She can see the future and use powerful attacks, though only few for it often exhaust the body.  She is the most powerful sorceress of all the kingdoms combined. Her name is Irene Alders…also known as Destiny, and the stubborn little rogue child sitting atop the bed is none other than Angelique Darkholm, the foster daughter of Irene's good friend Raven, or rather, Mystique, the popular, ruthless queen of the Darkholm Kingdom.

Raven earned her nickname Mystique by being able to trick many with her façade of sincerity and peace. She was a witch among witches…and, of course, everyone was aware but no one said a word for they feared for their lives. One once said that she had a lady's whole family persecuted just because she commented about her dress at a party. Her comment wasn't supposed to have been offensive, but that was how Raven looked upon it.

Raven is the fiercest woman ever known to man, though, she was not always this way. Many say that she used to be as gentle as the summer breeze, but now she is as mean as a hurricane. The reason being is that she fell in love with a man once, she gave him her everything. She thought that he loved her back; almost as much as she loved him. Later she would find out it was all just a charade.

Late one night, on the rooftops of the castle she laid, looking up at the stars when down below she heard a rustling of leaves.  She peeked out and there before her was her precious lover, in an intimate moment with someone else. For days on end she neither slept nor ate. A few weeks afterwards she found herself listening into one of her lover's meetings for he just got back from 'an important voyage'. That night her worst fears came true. She found out that he was just using her in order to gain power of the throne. After their marriage he planned to kill her and re-marry the mystery woman that Raven saw the other night wrapped up in his arms.

She had him and his new 'lover' burned at the stake the next fortnight.

From that day on she had a heart as hard as stone. Those who knew her before hand were as loyal to her as a priest is to his Lord God. They would continue to stick by her side until their dying days. At some points she would even show her old self by allowing a little smile appear. These occasions were rare and the only time she would let it happen was in the presence of her children, or even at times with her closest friends. That is why her staff who she knew before, during, and after the occurrence of the love betrayal is still living in her castle and if not then they are living fairly well and are being cared for by their queen just as they had once cared for her. The only way that the new staff members are still alive after the countless mistakes made by one who is clearly inexperienced are all thanks to the compassion and/or rescues of Angelique and Kurt.   

Speaking of her children, the odd thing about Raven's relationship with those two is that they are nothing alike. The only thing that makes them even remotely the same as Raven are their appearances. Kurt, who most claims is the queen's second son, is very kind and easy-going; unlike his mother who is very strict and such. His fair complexion,  odd and unusual, but not unattractive, blue hair, and dark, doe eyes are that of his mother's. Ange's only appearance of her mother lies within her heart. She is as stubborn as her mother was and still is. Thankfully, Ange didn't get her looks from her father, the man who is responsible for Raven's coldness to outsiders, but rather she received the looks from her grandparents. Her brunette hair is that of her grandfather and the white streaks from her grandmother. Her eye and skin color is a mix from both. She often reminds Raven of her beloved deceased parents.

Currently, Queen Raven has pressing matters to attend to and has left Angelique in the trusting hands of her long-time friend and confidant. Along with Ange is her older brother, Kurt. They are both 'on vacation' with Lady Irene. This does not bother Irene though, for she loves them as if they were her own. Usually they do not see her because of the danger she might present to the castle. It is no secret that there are people that despise sorcery and for that, they hate this kind-hearted woman; although, everyone who live within this town love her and already see her as part of their countless families. Since she is of noble blood she has some riches which help her sustain her huge mansion, near the Darkholm's castle but still a ways away as to not pose a threat, and pay the servants for their help, most are actually reluctant to take it. She often donates money to help fund the town that surrounds her summer cottage. She is the sole pillar, along with Raven, and without them the town would have been destroyed by war or wither away from disease, hunger, or sickness. 

Currently, Irene is reading Angelique to sleep. _She is so much harder to convince to sleep than her brother _thought Irene as she read. _Not that I mind at all…_and at that she smiled. The book that Irene had committed to memory, and was presently reciting for Ange was a rendition of her town's beloved classic, _The Glass Slipper: A Cinderella Tale._ Now we see Ange's nodding off gaze as the story slowly closes to an end.

"…now I have my prince…' said Cinderella. '...And I my princess…' replied Prince Charming. With that they sealed their vows of love towards each other with true love's first kiss…… and lived happily ever after. The end," Irene said gently as she tucked Angelique to bed.

"Auntie Reeney?" Marie asked sleepily as Irene tucked her in. "Is it really possible for all of this to have happened? Are they real or made up? Do you think that I can find my prince as well?" she eagerly questioned.

At this surprising barrage of interrogations from someone who was suspected to have already been captivated in the land of dreams for quite sometime, Irene quietly chuckled at her niece's startling antics. "One question at a time….please Ange…I can barely keep up with what you're saying!" she replied in a teasing tone.

"Sorrie Auntie…," Ange said rather sheepishly. "What I meant to say was: is it possible for me to have a happy ending like her or are those things too much to ask for?" Choosing her words carefully as to not hurt the feelings of the girl she replied, "Well my dear, it all depends of how you look at it. Let you be the judge of this tale and let no one else tell you otherwise. Trust your beliefs, Ange, for in the future it is only what you choose to believe that will set you free. As for finding that prince of yours or your 'happy endings'…," Irene continued soothingly as Angelique quietly drifted to sleep,"…it is all your decision, your life, that decides whether you find him….or for him to find you for that matter, and yours alone to decide," _Although I do doubt that your choice will stop him. _She mentally added with a knowing smile. "Now then, sweet dreams my love. I shall see you in the morning," Irene said into Ange's ear as she gave her a goodnight kiss.  

**A/N:**  To clear some things up:

Angelique Darkholm- I don't know about you guys but I really liked this name.  I read someone else use this name for Rogue in one of their stories and I think I liked this better than Marie…plus…Ange, her nickname, also means angel in French.  I thought that it would be cute, even though Rogue is technically not that sweet but she's four right now. 

As for Kurt, I think that I might make him about two years older than Rogue.  That sound good?

So anyways…what did you think? Liked it? Hated it? Let me know how to improve or your thoughts about it….in other words…Review please!


	2. Pasts Revealed

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything about this story except its plot. The characters clearly belong to Stan Lee so please don't sue me!

**A/N: **Hey everyone, I just wanted to say that I'll try my best to update as soon as possible, but sometimes I run out of ideas or don't have time to update so I apologize if some of my work comes way too late. Requests and ideas are always welcome. Also, there are a few things that I would like to explain at the end of this chapter. By the way, this chapter takes place a couple of seconds after the end of the last chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Irene sat there for several moments, waiting to hear the soft lull of her niece's gentle breathing. A tender gale glided across the room from the open bedroom door, sliding radiant, white tresses onto little Ange's peaceful features. Gently, Irene grazed her hand over the wintry colored locks, moving away the natural curls from the child's face.

Irene had grown accustomed to her inability to see over the years, with the help of her dearest friends, of course. At times, even those who had known the benevolent sorceress all of their lives seem to forget the absence of light behind the seer's blinded eyes.

_The price was well worth this _thought Irene as she reminisced about that fateful day her eyesight was stolen from her.

Flashback

That day was filled with so much bloodshed and tears. The great loss of that day could have sustained many generations of bloodthirsty savages. The Blood Moon, as the very few survivors dubbed it, was the most miserable event that had ever taken place during the Battle of the Kingdoms.

His royal highness, Nathaniel Essex, the most sinister man she or any of the other kingdoms had ever seen, had finally exceeded his limits.

Many thought that Essex used to be a common man with common interests. No one ever heard much from him or actually knew much about him during his early years. He kept to himself and usually remained behind castle walls. Little did they know…that all changed the moment he heard about the M'krann Crystal.

This crystal intrigued Essex to no end. He had first discovered the precious ruby stone while on one of his evening walks. Other royalty from neighboring kingdoms, such as Eric Lensherr, Charles Xavier, and Charles's brother-in-law D'ken, opted to join Nathaniel just this once. While discussing future matters of alliances, betrothals for their heirs, and other things concerning one's nation, the topic of power came into the conversation.

Issues had been called to each king's attention, such as what if one kingdom became too great, or what if the towns' people began a revolution; though the latter was less likely than the former. Each King treated their subjects well. For example: Charles welcomed all people into his kingdom with open arms. He believed in treating all creatures equally, thus creating the first nation where both sorcerer and common folk could live in peace and harmony. D'ken and his sister, Charles's wife Lilandra, merged their kingdom with that of Charles, making their nation among the largest of all the world's crown heads' kingdoms.

Eric's nation was comprised of mostly magick folk who shared his point of view. He thought them to be more superior than regular townsmen, but still respected the regular citizens and their hard labor. As long as regular people refrained from giving his citizen's a hard time he could tolerate them.

Nathaniel's views were a little different than Eric's. He believed magickers to be the most superior beings on earth. He always dreamed of the most powerful sorcerer to have been borne form his nation…or better yet, for the most powerful sorcerer to be himself. Nathaniel always secretly longed for power. Little did he know, D'ken felt the same.

D'ken always disapproved of his parents' choice of marrying his little sister to the "peacemaker". He despised Charles and disliked the serenity of his nation. The only reason he allowed the marriage to go on was because of power. Xavier had always been the most favored royal in all the land. In order for D'ken to actually rise to power, he had to** be** on the side of power. Once alongside Charles, he could make alliances and win people's trust to his side. After that was completed, he could use his steady ties to defeat all nations and bringing them all into under one ruler.

Royals' greed for power was one of the most well-known elements in all of history. Dynasties could crumble and people would be sacrificed…..all for power. Only one thing needed to happen…one thing and all could be lost…and that one thing was a dream.

Nathaniel and D'ken had this dream; a dream of death and destruction to win the prize of leadership. D'ken was so irrevocably caught up with this dream that he neglected to look at the consequences. If he would be caught, he would be killed. If he did not succeed he would be severely punished, but he still wanted to try.

The only thing that could make such a dream possible was the M'krann Crystal. This fine ruby that was shaped by dragons, formed by their hearts and cooled by their breath. The stone had been said to reside within the deepest place within the planet. Others have told that it was waiting at the highest mountain or floating somewhere within the great oceans. Where ever the stone maybe, all accounts had one thing in common: the stone possessed the ultimate power to grant the most impossible desires to its master: a sorcerer of great power. However, this crystal had been said to be a myth. No one believed that such a thing existed, and even if it did…how could one distinguish it from an imposter, since no accounts have ever recorded the color of the precious stone?

The three kings discussed the crystal, three because this was the very first time that Nathaniel had ever heard of such a power. Charles and Eric spoke of using the crystal for the good of the country and all of its people, if such a thing existed, but when this topic appeared, D'ken was instantly muted. He had never planned on ever using such a power for such worthless issues if ever he possessed such a power within his future. He remained silent, pondering if such a thing could ever have been created, while Nathaniel began to possess a bright gleam in his eye.

Since that day, Nathaniel had spent countless years trying to find the crystal. Soon his efforts were doubled after D'ken joined his search team. Together they destroyed cities and villages, searched both high and low, but to no avail.

Irene's village of long ago was attacked by soldiers who were ordered to destroy all that lay in their path, and with these brutal searches came the destruction of all she had ever held dear…even her eyesight. They burned houses with people locked within them, beat all who had no information to offer, and disabled many magickers of no help like herself. Irene had lost everything. While kneeling beside her dying mother, her current Master, an Elvin who had taught her the Arts of Magick, asked her a question that would forever change her life.

"Irene, do you want the power to prevent this from happening? Do you want to "see" again?" asked her master. Just as Irene turned a blind eye towards the sound of her master's voice she was quieted by another comment.

"If you choose yes then know that you may never have a normal life again. There is no going back. These new abilities come with great responsibility as well as sadness. Now that I have informed you of the risks I shall ask you again. Is this what you want?" her mentor quietly said.

"Yes Master. I know that I may have the toughest of lives ever made after you give me this…but…if I am able to spare others from this grief…then please, give me the strength and guidance I need to proceed with my duty," answered a quivering Irene.

"Very well my dear. From this point on, you shall have the ability to really "see". You are now a seer, one who has the ability to see the future and posses the power of visions," stated her master as she slid a glowing hand over Irene's eyes.

After that event, the Crown Heads gathered together to stop the reign of terror Nathaniel and D'ken had caused. While trying to capture the two fugitives, D'ken was thought to have died resisting arrest while Nathaniel was missing in action.

For many years after this news Irene and her master trained. Irene learned to adjust to her handicap, as well as handle, decipher, and remember all of her newly acquired visions. Once her master knew that Irene was ready to live on her own they shared their last conversation as teacher and apprentice.

"Irene, sweetheart, you are like my very own daughter. You mean very much to me but I must leave you now. You no longer need me, but when you do, take this pendent in your hands and think of me. I shall appear to you for guidance and strength. I wish that I was able to stay with you, but my time on this plane of existence is at an end. Goodbye my dear. Make me proud."

End Flashback

A lone tear slipped out from behind Irene's closed eyelids. Her trembling hand reached for the necklace with a pendent the shape of a leaf. Ever since her teacher had given this token to her, she had never taken it off.

She would forever fight against dark odds such as Nathaniel and D'ken, not just for her teacher but for her family as well.

With this last thought, Irene quietly slipped out of Ange's Bedroom and out into the night.

* * *

**A/N: **So how did everyone like this chapter? Please review about my progress…sorry that this chapter is late. Anyways, I have a few things I would like to clear up.

**M'krann ****Crystal****: **This was an item used in the comic books and in the 90's television series of X-men. From what I have gathered, it is a highly destructive crystal that D'ken had tried to destroy the universe with.

**D'ken: **D'ken is also taken from the comic books and is Lilandra's older brother.

**Lilandra: **Lilandra is the ruler of an extraterrestrial semi-humanoid race somewhere within the galaxy. She is also from the comics and the 90's series. She and Xavier were involved with each other and, in the comics, were married for quite some time.

**Nathaniel Essex: **Mr. Sinister

**Eric Lensherr: **Magneto  
  
**Leaf Pendant: **Picture the pendant that the hobits have on their capes in Lord of the Rings.

I apologize that most of my plot so far involves characters from the comic books or the 90's series, but I will try to add in a bit of the evolution gang soon! And now off to my lovely reviewers.

****

**EreshkigalGirl****:** Thank you for informing me about my use of the word warlock. I appreciate it. Sorry if I offended anyone.

**Enchantedlight****:** I was kind of thinking making the dead ex being Sabertooth since some people think that Sabertooth was Kurt's biological father, though there has been no proof of that yet, and the fact that Mystique and Sabertooth did have a child together: Greydon Creed, the leader of the Friends of Humanity. I might make a prequel to this story about Pre-Raven; Mystique's life before and during the his betrayal. What do you think?

**Black Wolf:** You read my mind! I'm still not sure on how I'm going to make the Ange-Rogue transformation, so requests are welcome! As for Remy…you'll find out soon. =P

**Ishandahalf****:** I shall try to update as soon as possible. I'm glad that you liked it to far.

**EthansKittyGirl****:** Hey Harm! Thanks for reading my story, even though your not into it. I appreciate it so much! So glad you liked it! Yours always, Fred.

****


End file.
